Review of Radio Days (1987) by Richard C — 14 Jul 2012

A thoroughly enjoyable piece from Woody Allen that must surely go down as one of his most underrated. Coming out a year after the release of one of my personal favourite Allen films Hannah and Her Sisters, Radio Days draws comparisons with another film released also in 1987, John Boorman's Hope and Glory, two films that deal with semi-autobiographical scenarios from each director that took place during World War II (although the World War II scenraio is what dominates only the second half of this film).

The first half is typically classic Allen, focusing on Joe, a young boy from a Jewish family in 1930's New York whose love for the jazz sounds he hears on the family radio forms the backstory for a set of stories involving members of his family and those involved in the process of the behind-the-scenes areas of the radio shows he listens to, much to the chagrin of his parents who spend a great deal of time arguing over who gets to discipline him better.

The second half is just as entertaining and humorous although a small section of the film is devoted to a serious scenario that we do not normally expect from a comedy maestro like Allen which is the attempt to rescue a trapped girl in a well, where the love between Joe and his father is realized in a truly moving sequence.

Here, Allen is maintaining his traditional comedy and nostalgiac references and mixing it up here and there with tales of murder (hence bringing a reference to a future Allen classic, 1994's Bullets Over Broadway) and tales of tragedy that confirm Allen as a serious dramatic filmmaker as well.

Overall, this is a wonderfully directed film that not only confirms Woody Allen as one of the best comedy directors in Hollywood history but also stands as yet another film of such originality that it would be virtually impossible to decipher just what are Allen's five best films.

A good one to see again.